Unsafe drinking water in New Zealand

Thursday, March 2, 2017 3:44:45 PM Pacific/Auckland

Did you know? In 2005 102,000 people were served by registered suppliers with water containing unacceptable levels of E. coli. And in 2016 Havelock North!

• 84,000 were exposed to greater risk of disease as the supplier did not take immediate steps to correct the problem once E. coli was found.• In 111 schools the water supply was contaminated with E. coli during 2005.

These are just three of the findings of the Ministry of Health's Annual Review of the Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Drinking Water in New Zealand.

The document covers the 2005 year and was published on 30 January 2007.

Twenty four percent (980,000) of New Zealanders are supplied with water that isn't known to be safe to drink.

Of those, nearly half, (460,000) get their drinking-water from rooftop tanks or bores. Their supplies aren't included in the Review, but a recent Massey University study found that more than half of 560 samples from private rooftop supplies were contaminated by fecal matter.

Two percent - 102,000 - received water that had been contaminated by E. coli. Most lived in small communities but serious failures occurred. In Blenheim and North End Oamaru too many samples were contaminated with E. coli, and in Kawerau and Matamata the suppliers failed to take appropriate action once E. coli was found.

All that is needed is to install a UV water filtration system, “That’s it”

UV Water Systems Ltd specialize in systems that are fully assembled, tested in NZ AND are “Water Proof” so they can be installed externally on two 4x3 posts by the water tank.